Category: Southwestern US

When we planned our trip, Ben told me that we absolutely had to ride the narrow gauge rail from Durango to Silverton. I'm not totally clueless, I know that narrow gauge rail refers to a train but all my historic train rides in Ohio had been on single track laid on mostly flat ground. The …

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Hot air balloons. They are unique, ubiquitous, cliched and inspiring. Images of them grace coffee cups, posters, boxes for cameras and printer cartridges, among other things. Last year Ben asked if I would be interested in going to a motor home rally at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. I said what I always say when I'm …

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I meet a lot of people on the road, but in Durango Colorado I hit the jackpot for memorable personalities. The annual Cowboy Poet’s conference was in town, and colorful cowboy characters were everywhere. Some of you who listen to NPR may recall Baxter Black, who performed on Prairie Home Companion from time to time—he …

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Traveling for any extended period of time requires faith, hope and trust. Things can break, illnesses (ours or the dogs') crop up, plans change and so on. We've had a few minor ups and downs that increased my respect for people who live on the road full-time. You have to develop a low adrenaline response …

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Stagecoach. The Searchers. 2001: A Space Odyssey. National Lampoon's Vacation. Mission Impossible. The Eiger Sanction. Forest Gump. Dozens upon dozens of movies have used its scenery as a backdrop. I've dreamed for years of going to Monument Valley since I first saw it as a kid on a Saturday afternoon watching She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. Now …

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We've been on the road for a month. The weather has been beautiful, and every day that wasn't a driving day has been action-packed. A couple days ago I said, "I wish we would have a rainy day so that I can justify sitting around to color or read a book." I had no idea …

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When we came to Zion, we were told that one of the must do hikes is the Narrows. Everyone, just everyone says to to do the Narrows if you do no other hike. So we did. The Narrows is a trail that follows the Virgin River, which is responsible for the formation of the Zion …